Earlier today, a long-time networking associate posed this question to me and I honestly had to think about the answer.
“If you are still out meeting people, where do you go?”
That’s almost a loaded question for The Relentless Networker. Am I still out meeting people? Where do I go? In other words, what am I doing to network?
The context is this. I had been on the receiving end of this associate’s monthly mailed invitation to a regular meet-and-greet. I’m at the point in my career and life where I am being a bit more selective so I asked to be removed from his list. His reply produced the above question.
Honestly, I have grown tired of the almost useless meet-and-greet type of event, having to tolerate being sold to in every conversation and there being little return.
And by return I don’t mean in dollars or business.
Meeting and engaging with honest, sincere, kind people is becoming increasingly hard to do. I love nothing more than meeting interesting and kind people and connecting them with similar folks. It just doesn’t happen all that often anymore. And I won’t blame the pandemic.
I guess you could sum up my feelings about being sold to with this clip from Say Anything. Truthfully, being sold to in the first few minutes after meeting someone has always been an incredible turnoff to me. But that’s a whole ‘nother topic of conversation. And that’s really at the root of not wanting to be a part of the typical grip-and-grin networking event.
How is ol’ Relentless making connections? Through communities that have interests similar to mine. And that’s mostly for my soul. Cycling, walking, dogs, classic cars, beer for starters. I’ll never give up on honest, healthy, useful face-to-face connections.
For my pocketbook I rely on more passive engagement through referrals from my network I’ve built over the past 20 years and my websites. And that, too, is fodder for another post.
I appreciate the thought-provoking question. Thanks, buddy. Keep doing what your doing–it just doesn’t fit my strategy.
Relentless
*photos courtesy of Unsplash (photographers Edwin Andrade and Simone Secci)
